(2021-02-09). PCHR: Landmark Decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC Welcomed by Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, PCHR and Addameer. imemc.org 
On Friday, 5 February 2021, over one year since the Office of the Prosecutor closed its preliminary examination into the Situation in the State of Palestine, the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued its decision affirming that the Court has full territorial jurisdiction over the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), i.e. the West …
(2021-02-09). Democrats WANT To Lose The Midterms: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com Republicans: Good. | Democrats: We hear you and we honor your experience. | ‚ùñ | The USA is the single worst human rights offender on our planet. The fact that most of its transgressions take place outside its own borders makes it more egregious, not less. So-called human rights watchdog groups which fail to acknowledge this fact are propaganda constructs. | ‚ùñ | By 2024 the only mainstream US political debate allowed will be about whether America should nuke Russia or China. | ‚ùñ | "Kindly let me help you or you will drown, said the monkey putting th…
(2021-02-09). UN experts call on Israel to stop torture, inhuman treatment of Palestinians. middleeasteye.net 
UN experts call on Israel to stop torture, inhuman treatment of Palestinians | Panel of rights experts said Israel was using a 'grave loophole within the Israeli judicial system' to defend its use of torture | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 18: 13 | Arbeed was detained in 2019, and after being subjected to interrogation by Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, he suffered from kidney failure and broken ribs (AFP…
(2021-02-09). Lab Animal Torturers Ridicule Antivivisectionists as 'Sentimentalists'. indybay.org Patent holding drugpushing vivisectors ridicule those who oppose lab animal torture as 'sentimentalists'
(2021-02-09). Neoliberal Authoritarianism in Egypt. dissidentvoice.org The whiplash of authoritarianism is being ruthlessly used in Egypt. On January 6, 2021, Ahmed Khalifa, social news editor of Egypt 360 website, was arrested after publishing a series of reports on workers' legitimate protests. He was falsely charged with joining a terrorist group and spreading fake news, and remains in detention to date. Before his arrest, Khalifa …
(2021-02-09). Demands To Drop The Charges On The 646 Mass Arrested. popularresistance.org Minneapolis, MN — Three months after six hundred forty-six people were mass arrested on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis, calls to drop the charges are continuing. A February 5 rally at the Hennepin County Government Center demanded specifically that a felony charge on college student Amina McCaskill be dropped, along with the charges and citations given to the other 645. Dozens braved single-digit temperatures for the Friday rally that featured Amina and numerous speakers that were also part of the 646. Unicorn Riot live streamed the rally and spoke with Amina afterwards. Civil rights lawyer, Nekima Levy Armst…
(2021-02-09). Stand with Newsclick: Journalism With a Spine. peoplesdispatch.org We, a group of publications from around the world, join together against the harassment of Newsclick, the Indian web-based news portal. The detention of its editors and the smearing of its reputation in the press is a calculated move to intimidate coverage of the farmer's revolt and other mass struggles that are ongoing in India. | We stand with Newsclick, journalism with a spine. | Vijay Prashad, Chief Correspondent Globetrotter, Executive Director Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research | Zoe Alexandra, Co-Editor Peoples Dispatch | Eugene Puryear, Host BreakThrough News | Ben Becker, Editor-in-Chief Break…
(2021-02-09). Disabled Advocates Demand Better Vaccine Access as They Face Greater Risks of Dying from COVID-19. democracynow.org 
As the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus tops 465,000, we speak with two disability rights activists about growing calls to prioritize giving COVID vaccines to people with physical and mental disabilities. Some states, including California, are failing to prioritize vaccines for people with serious physical or developmental disabilities, even though studies show they are up to three times more likely to die from COVID-19. "I use a ventilator to breathe, and I have respiratory failure," says disabled activist Alice Wong, founder of the Disability Visibility Project and host of the podcast "Disability Visibility…
(2021-02-09). New app Clubhouse becomes free speech haven in Turkey amid Bogazici protests. middleeasteye.net 
New app Clubhouse becomes free speech haven in Turkey amid Bogazici protests | The audio-only social media application has quickly become a centre of activism in Turkey's deeply polarised society | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 08: 54 | Protesters take photos as Turkish police officers detain demonstrators during a rally in support of Bogazici University students in Istanbul on 4 February 2021 (AFP) | When Turkish p…
(2021-02-09). Twitter suspends accounts, removes verification of Saudi political prisoners. middleeasteye.net 
Twitter suspends accounts, removes verification of Saudi political prisoners | Decision criticised as 'uncalled for' as the detainees are held in situations beyond their control | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 11: 54 | Ali al-Omari (L) and Awad al-Qarni have been in jail since 2017. Their verified Twitter badge has recently been removed by the social media giant (Twitter) | Twitter has removed the blue verified badge from…
(2021-02-09). Turkish authorities arrest 65 revolutionaries in a bid to break the backbone of the growing anti-government resistance. mronline.org 
Sixty-five people were detained in Istanbul last week after a press conference announcing the launch of a new opposition alliance, the United Fighting Forces (BMG).
(2021-02-09). Defendants no longer required to state nationality at the start of criminal cases. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
On 8 February 2020, small but significant changes were made to the Part 3 (Case Management) of the Criminal Procedure Rules and Practice Directions 2020 ("CrimPR"). These changes remove the requirement that defendants in criminal trials provide their nationality to the court at preliminary hearings. The question is now to be asked only where a …
(2021-02-09). Immigrants Shouldn't Have to Sacrifice Themselves to COVID for Basic Rights. truthout.org 
During the election campaign that led him to the White House, Joe Biden
(2021-02-09). "Bolivar Act" to tighten U.S. sanctions against elected Venezuelan government. peoplesworld.org 
On January 28, a group of U.S. Congressmen, led by former Green Beret and now Republican Party legislator, Michael Waltz, introduced into the Congress a new bill dedicated to smashing democracy in Venezuela, cumbersomely entitled the "Bipartisan Banning Operations and Leases with Illegitimate Authoritarian Regime (BOLIVAR) Act." The creators of the law tendentiously established the …
(2021-02-09). Analysis: Israel's Crimes, Legitimacy and Free Speech. imemc.org 
By Ron Forthofer for the Palestine Chronicle Israel is waging an intense campaign against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement, a nonviolent campaign called for by Palestinian civil society in 2005. This Movement was modeled on the campaign against South African Apartheid. Palestinians felt compelled to issue the call for a BDS campaign since previous …
(2021-02-09). 'Bolivar Act' to tighten U.S. sanctions against elected Venezuelan government. peoplesworld.org On January 28, a group of U.S. Congressmen, led by former Green Beret and now Republican Party legislator, Michael Waltz, introduced into the Congress a new bill dedicated to smashing democracy in Venezuela, cumbersomely entitled the "Bipartisan Banning Operations and Leases with Illegitimate Authoritarian Regime (BOLIVAR) Act." The creators of the law tendentiously established the …
(2021-02-09). This is Biden's Chance to End ICE's Abuses — For Good. aclu.org President Biden's 100-day deportation moratorium, announced late last month, was a monumental achievement for immigrant justice activists and immigrant communities. Less visible but potentially groundbreaking: The Department of Homeland Security's promise to conduct a top-to-bottom review of programs and policies governing the arrests and deportations of immigrants in the United States. | While a Texas court temporarily enjoined the deportation moratorium (the ACLU has
(2021-02-09). New ICC ruling 'opens the door' for justice in occupied Palestine — Independent UN expert. news.un.org The ruling of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that is does have jurisdiction over grave crimes committed in occupied Palestinian territory is a "significant step forward in the quest for justice and accountability", an independent UN human rights expert said on Tuesday.
(2021-02-09). Syria: UN experts call on 57 states to repatriate women and children from squalid camps. middleeasteye.net 
Syria: UN experts call on 57 states to repatriate women and children from squalid camps | United Nations group of experts says countries of origin have primary responsibility to protect nationals in vulnerable situations outside their territories | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 14: 21 | Children hold onto water containers in al-Hol camp, Syria, 8 January 2020 (Reuters) | UN human rights experts have urged 57 countri…
(2021-02-09). Activist accuses Avon and Somerset police of unlawful arrest, detention and discrimination. thecanary.co On 25 January, Avon and Somerset police arrested literary activist Ros Martin outside Bristol magistrates court for damage to the pavement by chalking and a breach of coronavirus (Covid-19) regulations. Martin has made a number of complaints to the police force for what she believes is "unlawful arrest, detention & discriminatory treatment". Her case reflects widespread issues of police disregarding people's health, using coronavirus regulations to clamp down on protest, and institutionalised racism in the Avon and Somerset police force. | Blatant disregard for safety during a pandemic: | While taking her…
(2021-02-09). My Path to Becoming A Real Progressive. realprogressives.org 
I suspect there are still many voters and registered Democrats who were like me in 2016. | I believed the Democratic Party represented me — a liberal American concerned about civil liberties, individual rights, democracy, and free enterprise. In short, I believed the party was socially progressive and promoted social welfare. | I believed these things about the party which is why I toed the party line. | From the 1990s onward, I was largely indifferent to politics. I had a passive attitude towards what happened in Washington. Only every four years did politics become sort of interesting. I didn't follow t…
(2021-02-09). Democrats Disarm Themselves Before Trump's Senate Impeachment Trial. zcomm.org If the Democrats do not go full throttle in this trial — this last clear chance to exercise the Constitution against Tyrant Trump — they will be remembered as profiles of infamy…
(2021-02-09). Anti-coup protests continue despite ban in Myanmar. yenisafak.com In Myanmar, Protesters took to the streets on Tuesday for the fourth straight day, defying the military's warning of legal action on public gatherings.The State Administrative Council, headed by military chief Min Aung Hlaing after a coup last week, has imposed a nationwide all-night curfew and ban on public gatherings of more than five people.Hundreds of thousands of anti-coup protesters rallied in Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, the three largest cities, and other parts, demanding an end to military rule and the release of detained leaders.Ko Ko Htay, a 62-year-old resident in Lanmadaw, a downtown township in…
(2021-02-09). Iranian nation respond to sanctions with resistance. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister said that the Iranian people show resistance in the face of sanctions and pressure.
(2021-02-08). ICC's "Landmark Decision" Could Open Door to Prosecuting Israel for War Crimes in Palestine. democracynow.org 
In a landmark decision, judges at the International Criminal Court say the body has jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, opening the door to possible criminal charges against Israel and militant groups like Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the international tribunal's decision "pure anti-Semitism" and rejected its claim of jurisdiction, as did the United States, while Palestinian officials and human rights groups welcome the news. Human rights lawyer Raji Sourani, director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, says the decision restores "the i…
(2021-02-08). Landmark ICC Decision Could Open the Door for Prosecuting Israel on War Crimes. truthout.org 
In a landmark decision, judges at the International Criminal Court say the body has jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, opening the door to possible criminal charges against Israel and militant groups like Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the international tribunal's decision "pure anti-Semitism" and rejected its claim of jurisdiction, as did the United States, while Palestinian officials and human rights groups welcome the news. Human…
(2021-02-08). Raji Sourani: Gaza Faces COVID Crisis as Israel Withholds Vaccines While Imposing Inhumane Blockade. democracynow.org 
The World Health Organization estimates there have been 51,312 confirmed cases and 522 deaths from COVID-19 in Gaza since reporting began in July 2020, and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees warns the Gaza Strip's health system could collapse if the number of cases continues to rise. We get an update from Raji Sourani, human rights lawyer and director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, on how Gaza has been impacted by COVID-19 as an ongoing blockade has destroyed its health infrastructure. "Our equipment is unable to deal with the emerging situation," Sourani says.
(2021-02-08). Haiti: Protesters Demand President Moise Steps Down. popularresistance.org Amid ongoing protests, the diaspora watched as journalists reported the arrest of a Supreme Court justice and a police inspector in Haiti on Feb. 7, the day opposition leaders, civil society and human rights groups say President Jovenel Moise should step down. | During the week leading up to Feb. 7, politicians and civil society groups from throughout the diaspora called for U.S. intervention, some citing the need to convene dialogue, while others called for a transitional government. The U.S. State Department has stated that Moise's term ends in February 2022 and has called for elections this year, despite wides…
(2021-02-08). Jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul set to be released, sister says. middleeasteye.net 
Jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul set to be released, sister says | Hathloul has been in prison for more than 1,000 days, where her family says she endured torture | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 22: 20 | Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul had been sentenced to almost six years in jail (AFP/File photo) | After more than 1,000 days in detention where she endured torture and hunger strikes, Saudi women's rights activis…
(2021-02-08). Loujain al-Hathloul to be freed on Thursday, sister says. middleeasteye.net Loujain al-Hathloul to be freed on Thursday, sister says | Saudi women's rights activist has been in jail, where her family says she endured torture, for more than 1,000 days | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 22: 20 | Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul had been sentenced to almost six years in jail (AFP/File photo) | After more than 1,000 days in detention where she endured torture and hunger strikes, Saudi women's rights acti…
(2021-02-08). Biden's Iran Policy Is Just Trump's Iran Policy With A Rainbow Flag Emoji. thealtworld.com 
In a new interview with CBS Evening News, President Biden "Will the U.S. lift sanctions first in order to get Iran back to the negotiating table?" Biden was asked by CBS's Norah O'Donnell. | "No," the president replied. | "They have to stop enriching uranium first," asked O'Donnell. | Biden nodded…
(2021-02-08). Gig Workers' Data Rights Should Be Prioritized in Labor's Next Fight. truthout.org 
In the November election, California voters delivered a blow to gig workers by
(2021-02-08). Charlie Cobb: 'Protest is necessary… but it is not sufficient.'. therealnews.com 
Forty years ago, longtime civil rights activist and journalist Charlie Cobb spoke to prisoners at the Maryland Penitentiary as part of the "To Say Their Own Words" program. Four decades later, Eddie Conway speaks with Cobb about the news industry, internationalism, and how the world has changed since 1980.
(2021-02-08). Washington ready to rejoin UN Human Rights Council… to shift its attention from Israel's violations. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced America will "re-engage" with the UNHRC as an "observer" in a bid to pressure the international body to dispense with what he called its "disproportionate" focus on Israel. | Touting the Biden administration's supposed return toward "a foreign policy centered on democracy, human rights, and equality," the newly-appointed diplomat tore into the council over its efforts to hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations of international law. | "We recognize that the Human Rights Council is a flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership, and focus,…
(2021-02-08). Armed raids, strip searches and torture: this is life for Turkey's students. thecanary.co Turkey's disgusting human rights record has come under the spotlight yet again as students continue to protest in Istanbul and other major Turkish cities. Since early January,
(2021-02-08). Guterres welcomes US decision to re-engage with the Human Rights Council. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General has welcomed a commitment from the new US administration to "re-engage immediately and robustly" with the Human Rights Council, following the withdrawal of the United States from the multilateral body nearly three years ago.
(2021-02-08). UN rights experts alarmed by rise in use of lèse-majesté laws in Thailand. news.un.org United Nations independent human rights experts on Monday voiced grave concerns over increasingly severe use of lèse-majesté laws in Thailand, warning that a rise in their usage is further restricting civic space and the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms in the country.
(2021-02-08). US rejoins UN rights council, but voices concern over 'focus on Israel'. middleeasteye.net 
US rejoins UN rights council, but voices concern over 'focus on Israel' | The move reverses the Trump administration's decision to pull Washington from council over its criticism of Israel | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 15: 31 | The empty seat of United States during an urgent debate on 'systemic racism' at Human Rights Council in Geneva, 17 June 12020 | The United States has rejoined the UN Human Rights Council, Secreta…
(2021-02-08). Abolishing Guam's Colonial Past Must Include Protecting Access to Abortion. aclu.org Recently I joined as an expert in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU to challenge two laws that block the rights of women on Guam to abortion access. As a Chamoru, community activist and independent scholar who specializes in Guam history and the teaching of the language of its indigenous people, the Chamorus, I see helping ensure that Chamoru and other women today on Guam are empowered to make decisions about their bodies, their futures as part of our process of decolonization. | The issue of abortion access for women in Guam is something I have studied as part of Guam's history, but something that also resonates in my…
(2021-02-08). 'No families are opting out': Utah school REVERSES decision to allow children to skip Black History Month classes after backlash. rt.com 
A charter school in Utah made a U-turn on its decision to allow families to "exercise their civil rights" and opt their children out of lessons relating to Black History Month, after facing a major backlash online. | "We regret that after receiving requests, an opt-out form was sent out concerning activities planned during this month of celebration," Maria Montessori Academy's board of directors The school in North Ogden, which has a majority white student base according…
(2021-02-08). Uighur speaks out against husband's 'deportation' from UAE. middleeasteye.net 
Uighur speaks out against husband's 'deportation' from UAE | Amanissa Talip said she has not seen her husband since 2018, after he was detained while obtaining paperwork in Dubai | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 18: 11 | Ahmad Talip's wife said he was detained by Emirati officials and deported to China despite committing no crime in UAE (AFP) | The wife of a Uighur man suspected of being deported to China from the Un…
(2021-02-08). Universal Credit childcare payment system indirectly discriminates against women. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
R (Salvato) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2021] EWHC 102 (Admin) As any working parent will tell you, childcare is expensive. Unlike in some other European countries, there is no universal provision of free or affordable childcare for school age children in the UK. This can create a barrier for parents, especially …
(2021-02-08). China puts US electric carmaker Tesla on notice. yenisafak.com China on Monday put US electric carmaker Tesla on notice, urging it to comply with local laws, according to Chinese media.China's market regulator and other government departments have summoned Tesla and raised questions over quality issues, CGTN reported."China urges Tesla to strictly abide by China's laws and regulations to protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers," the news channel cited the country's State Administration for Market Regulation as saying in a statement.Other government bodies, including the Industry and Information Technology Ministry, Cyberspace Administration, Transport Minist…
(2021-02-08). 'Unknown number' of foreign nationals have died in squalid Syrian camps, say rights experts. news.un.org "An unknown number" of foreign nationals have died while being detained in squalid camps in Syria's northeast, senior UN-appointed independent rights experts said on Monday.
(2021-02-08). Removal of all sanctions only way to prove goodwill. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Paris Bahram Ghasemi said the only way for the new US administration to prove its goodwill to Iran is to lift all the sanctions.
(2021-02-08). Western sanctions against Iran unacceptable. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 08 (MNA) — The Chairman of Russia's State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin named the western anti-Iranian sanctions as unacceptable.
(2021-02-08). Protesters Say Mine Expansion Ignores Nunavut Agreement. popularresistance.org Protests continue in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, on Saturday, as a two-week environmental hearing on an expansion at the Mary River iron ore mine wraps up. | At noon Saturday, around 50 residents gathered outside the community hall where the hearings are happening. It was — 32 C with the windchill, according to Environment Canada. | "We protested and chanted, 'Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, protect our rights, protect our people, protect our animals'," said resident Sheena Akoomalik. | At the protest, she brandished a copy of the Nunavut Agreement. She said the legal agreement between Nunavut Inuit and the Canadia…
(2021-02-08). Stay of Proceedings Against Ex-Nazi Undermines Canada's Reputation – Rights Group. sputniknews.com TORONTO (Sputnik) – A court-mandated stay of deportation proceedings against a former Nazi, Helmut Oberlander, undermines Canada's reputation and the admissibility hearings must resume as soon as possible, B'nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said.
(2021-02-08). El Salvador To Keep in Detention Defendants of FMLN Murder Case. telesurenglish.net A court in El Salvador Monday ordered the pre-trial detention against three people accused of the murder of Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) supporters on January 31. | RELATED: | The three suspects face charges of aggravated homicide for the deaths of Juan Portillo and Gloria Rogel. They also face attempted aggravated homicide charges for the wounding of Roberto Hernandez and Aquiles Ayala. | The court rejected th…
(2021-02-08). Will return to obligations under nuclear deal after all Trump-era sanctions are lifted, says Iran. peoplesdispatch.org The Biden administration, however, has refused to lift sanctions first and has put pre-condition of Iran's full compliance to the Iran nuclear deal before it rejoins it…